BUSINESS
Karen May of Scottsdale Private Event Venues has worked in the event planning industry most of her life. (Photo courtesy of Karen May)
Far from
Typical Karen May takes a blank slate and makes it special By Laura Latzko special entertainer, helicopter ride, classic car or out-ofthe-box theme can make events stand out. As an Airpark event planner, Karen May gives her clients memorable, oncein-a-lifetime experiences. The owner of Scottsdale Private Event Venues and Scottsdale Hangar Parties, May brings character to parties, often hosting them on ranches, in amphitheaters
and in the desert. Her clients read like a who’s who of corporate and private clients — many of whom she cannot name. She’s also lent a hand to the Super Bowl, Final Four, Fiesta Bowl and Major League Baseball. She has collaborated with or met celebrities like golfer Tiger Woods, former football player Kurt Warner, actor Leslie Nielsen, and country stars Garth Brooks and George Strait. May was recognized for her work in 2019 with a Smart Women in Meetings Award during the Smart Woman Summit in Las Vegas.
24 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / JUNE 2021
Being an event planner has been challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. May says she has seen an 80% decrease in business since March 2020. She has tried to stick to smaller events, such as holiday and private parties, weddings, digital drive-in events, incentive events, pharmaceutical releases, a helicopter-themed rehearsal dinner, brand launches, retirement parties, and an outdoor gala in a mall parking lot. During the gala for architects, attendees watched prerecorded footage of nominees and a video featuring the nominated projects. “Everybody was in their cars like they were at a drive-in, watching their awards gala,” she says. “They saw themselves and their projects on the big screen. At the end of the night, the first-, second- and third-place winners came up live on the screen and got their awards. It was a lot of fun. We were just trying to do something different, something out of the box.” During the last year, she avoided planning events for larger groups, as she didn’t want to contribute to the spread of COVID-19 or play gatekeeper. “You can’t always control your clients, if they are going to follow the rules, if they are going to wear their masks,” she says. “It’s up to you to make sure that they do, and that’s really personal. I don’t want to be putting a mask on someone’s child or
